


Fall In Line

by LiesandJintrigue



Series: The Warrior and the Wildflower AU [4]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Angst, Blood and Violence, Minor Character Death, So much angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-30 14:00:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17829899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiesandJintrigue/pseuds/LiesandJintrigue
Summary: The story of Sanghyuk, a simple farm boy who had a dream that he never thought he would get to achieve. Unfortunately, Sanghyuk learns that sometimes dreams can be real nightmares....





	Fall In Line

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings for this chapter: Blood/death. It's mentioned at the beginning but the big scene is at the end  
> Dubcon tones? There's a scene at a brothel somewhat towards the end as well.
> 
> Please be careful.
> 
> Re-posted because somehow a huge chunk of the story got deleted during posting.

Sanghyuk was running out of breath as he ran a distance away from the village. He turned back and he could see the flames set by the other squad members quickly engulfing cabins and sheds, and he felt his stomach knot painfully. He hadn’t expected to run into the young leader of the village during the burning. Jungwoo had warned that he better stay out of sight and not get caught or they would leave him there to take the fall. For some reason, the man - Hakyeon, he’d heard him called, had let him leave. Sanghyuk was so preoccupied in his thoughts of Hakyeon that he slipped in the snow and rolled down the embankment, coming to rest at the edge of the forest. With a groan he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. There was a large tear in his pants and he felt the wind blow against his skin.  Nothing seemed to be broken, but he was definitely going to have bruises later.

 

“As if I don’t have enough already,” Sanghyuk muttered bitterly. Minseok might give him a beating for the tear in his pants, let alone being caught by Hakyeon. As Sanghyuk struggled to his feet it occurred to him that they had let Sanghyuk go unchaperoned for once. Usually wherever Minseok went, Sanghyuk had to go as well, trailing behind the older man on an invisible tether. Sanghyuk chewed the inside of his cheek at the thought of running away. He had no supplies and he had no idea where he was. Going back to the village was highly unlikely, especially now. If he was caught trying to escape by Jungwoo and the others...

 

The wet sound of blood gurgling through swollen lips, rasping breath trying to form a name filled Sanghyuk's ears. His eyes swam as he saw the bright red blood. It was all over his hands, warm and sticky. So much blood.

 

The tang of blood in his own mouth rocketed Sanghyuk from his memories. He had bit his cheek too hard and it stung when he probed it with his tongue. There would be more blood, his blood, if he didn't reach the rendezvous spot in time. He pushed down the memory and trudged through the snow in the direction Jungwoo had pointed out to him.

 

“Light a few of those shitty buildings up and then get out of there. If you get caught, you’re on your own, got it? When you get out, stay under the trees.” The older man’s fingers had dug painfully into Sanghyuk’s bony shoulder - a reminder of what would happen when you cross Jungwoo.

 

Sanghyuk needed to focus. It would be easy to get turned around beneath the twisting branches of the trees overhead. He tried to stay close to the edge of the forest but everything looked the same in the dark. His mind was distracted, his nerves frazzled, his stomach empty. Sanghyuk frowned; hunger wasn’t a new feeling to him, far from it. It was his hunger that had led him to Jungwoo’s clutches in the first place. Hunger and naivete, that was Sanghyuks downfall.

 

☆☆☆☆☆☆

Sanghyuk’s family had never had much, just a small farm and a few goats to their name. All the same, Sanghyuk had a good childhood. When he wasn’t helping his father in the fields, he was minding the goats. Often times he would don his cloak and take up his walking staff and pretend to march the goats around the property. Sanghyuk’s mother would laugh and wave to him from her little garden outside the house as he marched past.

 

One day Sanghyuk had told his parents he’d wanted to be part of the patrols when he grew up, just like his father had been. He thought his parents would be proud of him for having decided a path in life. Instead, his father had turned quiet, gotten up from the table and left the house, mumbling something about checking the goats. Sanghyuk was confused and turned to his mother for answers but she only told him it was a hard life and that they wanted better for him. He couldn’t understand why they didn’t encourage him, but he received no further explanation other than what his mother had said to him.

 

As Sanghyuk grew up, his life with his family didn’t change much. He’d still help out his family with the farm as he usually did and he was more or less content. Even so, he could never really get the patrols out of the back of his mind. He was curious as to why his parents were hesitant about letting him join them, especially with how his father was one of them in the past. As Sanghyuk lost the soft roundness of his boyhood and grew into an angular young man, he thought about how his strength was wasted on the farm. Sure, he could lift hay bales with ease and push the plow through a good quarter of the field without rest, but in the back of his mind he dreamed of other things. How swiftly could he swing a sword? How many opponents could be beat bare handed at once? The farm had made him strong and disciplined but Sanghyuk wanted to show off his prowess.

 

At the same time though, he couldn’t quite just up and leave his home. As he grew older, so did his parents. Farming was never an easy life, it was long hours of back breaking work. Sanghyuk's father had worked everyday from dawn for years, trying to ensure the success of the farm. The land and weather had not been kind, however, and the farm suffered. Sanghyuk watched as his father withered with the crops until it was time to send him to the same dry earth he had so doggedly tended.

 

The goats went next, sold one by one to keep rice and salt in the meager larder. After the last goat was sold off, Sanghyuk began to try to find work in the village. He was able to scrape a few coins together for a bowl of rice to split with his mother but the other villagers weren't doing much better. Things only got worse as the year wore on. 

 

Sanghyuk's village had been at the edges of the East Kingdom near the border to the neighboring kingdom, so far from the capitol that news reached them weeks after it happened. They were caught completely unaware that the war had started, clashes breaking out along the border. On their march to meet the enemy, the West Kingdom marched through Sanghyuk’s small village. Since the village was on the wrong side of the border, the West Kingdom soldiers had little care to the lives of the villagers. Many of the village men were killed, young and old alike. Sanghyuk’s mother had sent him off into the hills to hide until the soldiers had left, thus saving his life. After the soldiers moved on, they left a sickness behind. A fever swept through the village and claimed more lives, including Sanghyuk’s mother. She had been too frail and malnourished for her body to fight off the illness and she succumbed quickly. Sanghyuk buried her in the cracked soil next to his father. 

 

Now an orphan on a barren farm, Sanghyuk thought about finally leaving and heading for the capitol, more determined than ever to become a soldier. He had gathered what little belongings he had and stepped out the door only to catch sight of the plain, makeshift markers on his parents’ graves, making him hesitate. If he left, he may never see his home again. No one would be there to tend the graves or honor his parents’ names on the holidays. Sanghyuk had turned back to the house, the one he had lived his whole life in, and put away his belongings; he couldn’t bring himself to leave.

 

So he stayed, tending to what little he had left of his farm, and it quickly became lonely. The only living thing he had to talk to was a mouse that lived behind the large earthen pot in the corner. Sanghyuk spent most of his day on his pallet staring listlessly, trying to ignore the hunger gnawing at his stomach. The farm still refused to yield any crops and his mother's old garden was populated with scraggly weeds. He had eaten a few of the plants but they were bitter and made his insides loose. Still, it was something to quiet his stomach for a little bit.

 

Sanghyuk had long since stopped counting the days when he heard voices outside his house. The voices sounded strong, rowdy and full of life telling Sanghyuk it wasn't anyone from his village. Maybe these strangers had food to share. Or maybe they would kill him and put him out of his misery. Either way, Sanghyuk wanted to see another human after being alone for so long. He managed to muster enough strength to drag himself to the doorway, sagging against the frame as his eyes tried to adjust to the sunlight outside.

 

“Whoa! Hey Minhyuk, someone still lives around here.” 

 

Sanghyuk blinked slowly, willing the sun spots to clear from his vision. As the two strangers came into focus he saw one was chewing on a piece of dried meat. Sanghyuk’s stomach twisted with hunger pangs.

 

“Damn, he looks like hell. Let’s keep moving.” They started to move away from the house and Sanghyuk’s heart dropped.

 

“W-wait, please. I haven’t eaten in days I…” Sanghyuk called, reaching out weakly. His legs shook beneath him from the exertion of standing and he slid to the ground still gripping the doorway. 

 

“Gods, he's crying,” the one man whispered to the other.

 

“Minseok, give him a bit of that meat.” The man nodded in Sanghyuk's direction and Minseok balked.

 

“It's mine, besides, he looks like he's not gonna be worrying about being hungry much longer.”

 

Sanghyuk looked hopefully at the man, trying to to beg through his expression.

 

“Minseok,” the man said again. The two men shared an unspoken conversation through their eyes and it was then that Sanghyuk noticed they looked alike. Twins. 

 

“Fine! I don't see what the point is, he's dying anyway,” Minseok grumbled, tossing the meet onto the ground in front of Sanghyuk. Sanghyuk dove on the scrap, shoving it into his mouth without shame. He closed his eyes as he chewed, sighing at finally having something other than weeds.

 

“Don't throw it up now, that'd he a waste,” Minhyuk chided, kneeling down in front of Sanghyuk. The man reached out cautiously in case Sanghyuk found the strength to attack, and lifted the boy’s chin. 

 

“What are you doing here all alone?”

 

Sanghyuk sighed and leaned into the touch. It had been forever since he’d talked to someone, much less been touched so tenderly.

 

“Minhyuk, leave him and let’s get back before it gets dark,” Minseok whined, keeping his distance. Minhyuk shot him a look over his shoulder before turning back to Sanghyuk who’s eyes had slipped closed. 

 

“I think we should bring him with us,” Minhyuk smiled. Sanghyuk’s eyes fluttered open and he looked into Minhyuk’s warm gaze.

 

“You what?! Why?”

 

Minhyuk stood and Sanghyuk followed his movement, sad that the warm hand had been taken away. 

 

“With Wonshik gone, we could use another set of hands. Besides, he’s just a kid.”

 

Minseok snorted and crossed his arms. All Sanghyuk could do was watch in silence as the two men discussed him like he wasn’t even there, like he had no opinion on the matter.

 

“What’s gotten into you lately? Have you gone soft?”

 

“I told you, we could use the help. Put him to work carrying our shit or something,” Minhyuk shrugged.

 

“Maybe you’re feeling guilty for Wonshik. That’s it, isn’t it?” Minseok scoffed. Minhyuk bristled and crossed the distance to his brother.

 

“I didn’t kill him, he made a bad move and got himself injured. We had to leave him or we’d have died, too.”

 

“If that’s what helps you sleep at night. Personally, he didn’t fit in with us anyway so why feel bad? Who is to say this kid will be any better?” Minseok gestured at Sanghyuk who still leaned against the doorway. 

 

Minhyuk let out a snort. “Well we won’t know unless we try, don’t you think?”

 

Minseok breathed in deeply and let out an exasperated sigh. “Alright, fine. But if he collapses or something I’m not carrying him. We’ve had to deal with enough dead weight as it is.”

 

“Deal, but I think he's going to be fine once we get him back to the camp and give him more food,” Minhyuk agreed. He went back to Sanghyuk, grabbing him under his arm and hauling him up. Sanghyuk wobbled for a moment but didn't collapse again.

 

“You're also going to be the one to tell Jungwoo,” Minseok warned. Minhyuk held Sanghyuk's arm to steady him and laughed.

 

“Chicken.” He turned to Sanghyuk and looked him over. “You ready to go? Just leave anything you had here, you won't need it anymore,” Minhyuk said softly. Sanghyuk nodded weakly. He had nothing to take with him anyway other than memories. Something about the way Minhyuk looked at him, spoke to him made Sanghyuk want to try living again. He had been resigned to dying alone in his family home but now he had purpose. He would go with these brothers, meet their leader. He would live to see another day.

 

☆☆☆☆☆☆

 

Sanghyuk did live to see another day.

 

And another.

 

And another.

 

When he was first introduced to Jungwoo, the older man had smiled broadly at him and ordered Minhyuk to feed and clothe Sanghyuk, which Minhyuk did happily. That night Minhyuk shared his bed roll with Sanghyuk promising to get him a new one in the next village. Minseok was not so keen on the idea seeing as how he usually slept next to his brother. Sanghyuk got the feeling Minseok didn't like sharing his brother's attention and Sanghyuk's company was unwelcome. Despite this, Minhyuk tended to Sanghyuk gently and as the days passed, Sanghyuk grew stronger. He was eager to return the favor and as soon as he was able to carry more than just his own body, he offered to pack along the other members of the squad's supplies as well. It was hard work but Sanghyuk was grateful they had saved his life. As it turned out, they were soldiers, who had once been in the patrols just like Sanghyuk had dreamed. They had lived in the capitol and kept the peace before the war broke out. Now they were a raiding party, though a bit of bad luck had slowed them down.

 

“Two things: don't ever ask Siwon about his scars and don’t ask Jungwoo what happened to the one before you,” Minhyuk had warned. Sanghyuk promised he wouldn’t but couldn’t help but be curious. He had heard Minseok mention a Wonshik that had been left behind back when they had first found Sanghyuk and he wondered what had happened. Of course, Sanghyuk heeded Minhyuk’s warning and kept his questions to himself. It was war, and the squad had obviously seen battle. Things happened in battle, bad things, Sanghyuk had told himself. Whoever this Wonshik had been, Sanghyuk would do his absolute best to replace him and make the squad forget whatever wrongs he’d committed.

For a while, Sanghyuk was happy, pretending he was a real soldier and having adventures. Life was better than it had been on the farm even if Siwon's imposing silence scared him. Even if sometimes Minseok would shoot murderous looks him when Minhyuk wasn't watching. Even if Jungwoo's erratic behavior made him a little worried. Sanghyuk was better off.

 

_ Wasn't he? _

 

At least he thought he was, but soon he would find out that life with the soldiers was not all that it seemed to be, not what he thought when he was a child.

 

It wasn’t long before Jungwoo began to show his true colors. Despite his hospitality in the beginning, Sanghyuk couldn’t help but note that the squad leader would sometimes talk down to him, treating him as if he were a brainless child. He knew he was the youngest member in the squad, but he also knew as well as the rest of them that he was still an adult.

 

So Sanghyuk decided to speak up, stand up for himself, tell Jungwoo how he felt. This would turn out to be a big mistake, though, and he was none the wiser.

 

Jungwoo snorted. “Treat you like a child? But that’s what you are,  baby~ ” He mocked, a playful yet sinister smirk on his face.

 

Sanghyuk shook his head. “I’m not a child! I may be the youngest here, but I’m still an adult, and I just…” He hesitated for a moment. “Just wish you would… Treat me as such, like you do with the others.”

 

Jungwoo thought for a moment, then he looked back at the young would-be warrior. “Well, if you want that so badly, then how about you prove it to me?”

 

Sanghyuk eyed Jungwoo warily. “Prove it? But… But how?”

 

Jungwoo chuckled. “Oh, it’s nothing difficult. Come with me and I’ll show you.”

 

Sanghyuk caught a glimpse of Minhyuk before he followed Jungwoo out of their lodgings, his face clouded. Sanghyuk wondered if he should be worried but Jungwoo was already leaving him behind so he ran to catch up.

 

The pair walked through the cobblestone road, Sanghyuk following close behind Jungwoo. The sun had long since set over the horizon, and the only light in the small town were the dimly lit torches stationed along the sides of the roads, along with the full moon high up in the sky.

 

“Um, so… W-where are we going?” Sanghyuk asked a bit nervously, glancing around at the dark buildings as they continued along.

 

“You’ll see.” Was Jungwoo's only reply. Sanghyuk let out a quiet sigh but he didn’t ask any further. He knew he probably wouldn’t get any other answer from the squad leader if he persisted. 

 

Sanghyuk soon got his answer as Jungwoo stopped in front of a tavern with a red lantern hanging outside. A queasy feeling crept into Sanghyuk's stomach as Jungwoo gave him a slimy smile.

 

“Well, let's see if our  Sanghyuk is truly a man or if he's still just a babe,” Jungwoo clamped his hand onto Sanghyuk's shoulder as if he were about to bolt. He steered Sanghyuk through the doors into a dimly lit room where few people sat drinking and chatting. Sanghyuk’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he caught sight of a couple engaging in a hand job the corner, clearly not caring they were in public. Upon a second glance around the room, Sanghyuk realized that there were other couples similarly occupied.

 

“J-jungwoo? What is this place?” Sanghyuk stammered, averting his eyes to the floor.

 

“I told you, baby, this is where you prove yourself.” Jungwoo grinned. He sat down at an empty table and motioned for a server. An older woman who was wearing a dress that didn’t contain her ample breasts came tottering over and set down a frothing flagon in front of the man.

 

“Welcome, travellers. How can I be of service?” Her voice had an overly breathy affect and the way she leaned over Jungwoo’s shoulder made Sanghyuk cringe. He was starting to catch on to what kind of services the establishment provided.

 

“I’d like someone to show my young charge here some hospitality. He’s inexperienced so preferably someone who can show him a thing or two,” Jungwoo reached into his tunic and pulled out a few coins and tossed them onto the table. The woman snatched up the coins and gave Sanghyuk a knowing smile.

 

“I’ll bring out a few for you to pick from.” She wobbled away, disappearing past a door behind the bar. Jungwoo took a swig of his ale and looked at ease.

 

“Jungwoo, I don’t think this is necessary-” Sanghyuk began.

 

"Look our little  warrior , if you're a 'man now' as you say, then I think it's high time you got your dick wet, no?" The look on Jungwoo’s face told Sanghyuk there was to be no discussion on the matter.

 

All he had wanted was for them to stop treating him as a stupid little child but this was not how he imagined them doing so. Sanghyuk had known the other members of the squad had visited places like this before, though they had never invited him and more often than not, Minhyuk stayed behind with him and kept him distracted from thinking about it too much. There were times that Sanghyuk had thought about what it would be like to go with them but now that he was there, Sanghyuk wondered if he had hyped it up too much in his mind.

 

The woman had returned and clapped her hands, jolting Sanghyuk from his thoughts. She brought a small handful of people back with her. He looked at the powdered and painted faces of the girls lined up in front of him. They were probably attractive at some point but life, and their patrons, had not been kind to them. 

 

"Well, take your pick. Hurry up." Jungwoo goaded. Sanghyuk’s stomach churned with anxiety. Jungwoo wasn’t likely to have a last minute change in heart. He might as well get it over with. 

 

Without much thought he woodenly chose a girl that looked to be about his age with long stringy hair and a sallow complexion. She smiled at him and it reminded him of the cat that used to hang around the farm after it had cornered its prey. He swallowed the lump in his throat and let himself be led up the stairs, the cheers of strangers in the room echoing in his ears. 

 

"Don’t worry boy, I'm clean and told I'm very pleasurable." The girl assured him as she led him into another dimly lit room. The room held only a bed and a basin for water. A window, obviously too small for even the girl to slip through, let in a sliver of moonlight. The girl guided Sanghyuk to the bed and he plunked down with a  little push. The girl undid her laces with practiced fingers and Sanghyuk found he couldn't turn away, he’d never seen anyone so bold. Dropping her dress to the floor, the girl stepped closer to the bed, cupping Sanghyuk’s cheek almost tenderly. 

 

"At least you have a handsome face." She tipped his face up, turning it to the side. "And kind eyes. Let's be good to each other. You can pretend I'm your childhood sweetheart from back home. The sweet farmer's daughter that let you lift her skirt behind the barn. How does that sound?" As she spoke, she undid Sanghyuk’s trousers, and Sanghyuk shied away.

 

“Don’t get shy on me now, my love. Don’t you want to feel me?” 

 

Sanghyuk could only nod and whisper a feeble "yes”. The girl nodded and swung her leg over his lap and straddled Sanghyuk, looking him in the eye softly. "It's ok if it doesn't take long, they're paying me either way," she assured him. Sanghyuk blushed and looked away as the girl sank down on him.

 

It didn't take long, as the girl had predicted, just a few hurried and awkward thrusts in that dismal room but the image of the girl with the soft eyes and sallow  skin  stayed with Sanghyuk for many nights after.

 

☆☆☆☆☆☆

 

After the night at the tavern, Jungwoo's attitude toward Sanghyuk did change. He no longer treated Sanghyuk like an inept child but he held him to an impossible standard. If Sanghyuk made a mistake in preparing their gear or lagged behind or any number of things, Jungwoo was quick to resort to violence. Nowadays it was more common to see Sanghyuk sporting a few bruises on his body. 

 

Most disheartening, it seemed that after the brothel, Minhyuk had lost his fondness of Sanghyuk. Before, Minhyuk might have tried to assuage Jungwoo's anger, or distract the leader so he would leave Sanghyuk alone. Now when Jungwoo came at Sanghyuk, Minhyuk would simply keep his eyes averted, suddenly finding deep interest in something else. When Sanghyuk would cry in the night on his bedroll, Minhyuk would no longer hold him and comfort him. Sanghyuk didn't know what he had done to lose Minhyuk's protection but it admittedly hurt more than his physical wounds.

 

It wasn't until they found themselves in another nameless town, in another dingy tavern that Sanghyuk cared not for, that things came crashing down. 

 

Jungwoo had taken one of the girls up to a room for the night, leaving the others to their own devices. Siwon, never one for drinking in the company of others, had disappeared after taking a large bottle of liquor from the bar for himself. That left Sanghyuk in the drinking hall with the twins. While Minhyuk had been content to drink in sullen silence, Minseok had drank enough of the piss-tasting ale to loosen his tongue and his inhibitions. As he sloshed his tankard around, he decided to chat up Sanghyuk.

 

“You see any you like?” Minseok slurred, gesturing at a few of the prostitutes around the room. Sanghyuk had intentionally avoided looking around, lest he attract one over to make their offer. He shook his head, his eyes trained on his cup.

 

“What's the matter? Not good enough for you? Or maybe they don't have the right parts for you,” Minseok laughed. Sanghyuk gave a non-committal shrug and hoped Minseok would lose interest if he didn't speak. 

 

“It's ok, my Hyukkie here is the same. I don't understand all the fuss, a hole is a hole I say. Though I suspect he may be waiting for you to offer yours.” Minhyuk bristled and darted a look at Sanghyuk before glaring at Minseok. Minseok smiled and lay a hand on Minhyuk's cheek as he continued. “But I don't judge.” Sanghyuk shifted uncomfortably in his seat, wishing to be anywhere else at that moment.

 

“You'll have to excuse Minseok, he's  _ drunk _ ,” Minhyuk said sharply. Minseok only laughed and patted Minhyuk’s cheek before pushing him away.

 

“I might be drunk but I’m telling the truth. You want to split that little melon, don’t you, brother?” Minseok gave Sanghyuk a grimy smile and licked his lips.

 

“I-I think I need some air or something,” Sanghyuk mumbled, scrambling out of his chair and towards the door. 

 

Once he was outside, Sanghyuk gulped deep breaths of the cold night air until he had calmed down. At one point he had thought maybe Minhyuk had liked him, it certainly seemed that way, but things had changed. Why didn’t Minhyuk speak out against Jungwoo when he treated Sanghyuk like crap? Why was he so distant? Sanghyuk was lost in his thoughts as he weaved down the deserted road when he heard someone call his name. Wheeling around, he saw Minhyuk approaching slowly and he swallowed at a lump that was forming in his throat.

 

“Sanghyuk, what Minseok was saying back there-”

 

“Forget it,” Sanghyuk cut him off, turning away. 

 

“It’s more than that; I just- Will you listen?” Minhyuk grabbed Sanghyuk’s arm to stop him from walking away and Sanghyuk flinched. Minhyuk moved his hand down to hold Sanghyuk’s wrist and pulled up his sleeve. Right where Minhyuk had grabbed him was a particularly nasty looking bruise, mottled in blues and purples from where Jungwoo had grabbed Sanghyuk earlier that week. Sanghyuk snatched his arm away from Minhyuk and rolled his sleeve back down, cradling his arm to his chest.

 

“You see what he does, Minhyuk, and you do nothing,” Sanghyuk spat He could feel his eyes tearing but he refused to cry. Minhyuk looked away, ashamed but Sanghyuk continued. “Whatever feelings you have for me, you can keep them to yourself.”

 

Sanghyuk felt a swell of satisfaction that he had stood up for himself, even if it was only to Minhyuk. He felt almost drunk on the way Minhyuk cringed away from him. Minhyuk opened his mouth to respond but decided against it and turned to go back to the tavern. Sanghyuk, having nowhere else to go, followed behind at a distance. 

 

When they reached the tavern, Jungwoo was standing outside, half dressed, arguing with the owner. 

 

“I’m a paying customer, you can’t just throw me out,” Jungwoo complained, hands balled at his sides. The tavern owner shook his head, unwilling to change his mind.

 

“Your man was in there causing a ruckus and scaring the girls so you’re no longer welcome here.”

 

Jungwoo sputtered, his face and chest red with anger as the tavern owner went back inside and closed the door in his face.

 

It wasn’t long before he noticed Sanghyuk and Minhyuk standing nearby. His eyes were wide and brows furrowed with rage. Sanghyuk shrank back with fear at the intense glare Jungwoo was shooting in their direction.

 

“You!” Jungwoo suddenly exclaimed.

 

Then, everything happened in a blur; Jungwoo lunging towards the two, Sanghyuk letting out a frightened scream as he fell backwards, and Minhyuk having zero time to react before he suddenly fell to the ground at Jungwoo’s feet. Sanghyuk trembled as he witnessed the scene unfold in front of him, Jungwoo staring down emotionlessly as Minhyuk laid on the ground, clutching his stomach. Sanghyuk could see blood staining Minhyuk’s hand that was over his abdomen, and more beginning to pour out of his mouth. Sanghyuk’s vision blurred with tears but as he tried to blink them away, he could make out an object in Jungwoo’s hand. It turned out to be a small dagger, and it was coated with blood; Minhyuk’s blood. 

 

Sanghyuk scrambled to Minhyuk's side, pressing his hands to the wound. Minhyuk looked up at him in fear, in pain.

 

“S- sang-hy-” Blood burbled from Minhyuk's lips, choking off his words. Unshed tears burned Sanghyuk's eyes as he watched helplessly. 

 

“Min- Minhyuk, stay w-with me, please… Don’t- don’t close your eyes.” Sanghyuk sobbed as the life slowly drained out of Minhyuk’s eyes.

 

“Minhyuk?” Jungwoo spoke up, causing Sanghyuk to look up at him. The squad leader scoffed. “I thought you were Minseok. Oh well, you two look so alike I couldn’t tell the difference.”

 

Sanghyuk stared in disbelief at Jungwoo. The man had just stabbed his own squad mate and his only concern was that he’d mistaken him for his twin brother, and not the fact that he was laying on the ground bleeding out. A mixture of anger and despair swirled within Sanghyuk, but there was nothing he could do. If he tried to confront Jungwoo there was a chance that he’d be the next one to bleed to death.

 

Sanghyuk was pulled from his thoughts when he felt Minhyuk’s body go completely limp.

 

“Minhyuk?” Sanghyuk cried, shaking the man gently. Minhyuk lay unmoving in Sanghyuk’s arms. He was gone. Jungwoo made a rude noise above them and started to walk away in search of a place for the night. Sanghyuk watched him leave with an intense hatred. In that moment he wanted to throw himself on Jungwoo and do whatever he could to hurt him, make him bleed but he couldn't leave Minhyuk alone in the deserted road. 

 

Sanghyuk found himself wishing the squad leader would drop dead, hot tears pricking his eyes. Minhyuk's past may have been shady and he'd been too passive to help Sanghyuk when he needed him but this wasn't justice. Sanghyuk sat there in silence even after Jungwoo had disappeared from sight. He looked down a Minhyuk's face and gently wiped the drying blood at the corner of his lips. Who was going to tell-

 

“Minhyuk?”

 

Sanghyuk's head snapped up to see an inebriated Minseok swaying down the road. 

 

“What’s wrong?” Minseok slurred, dropping to his knees next to Sanghyuk. He shook his brother roughly in his drunken stupor. “What the fuck is wrong with him,” Minseok repeated, shaking Minhyuk from Sanghyuk’s hold and snapping the young man out of his shock.

 

“He’s gone. STOP IT!” Sanghyuk shouted, disturbed. Minseok recoiled and gathered Minhyuk’s body in his arms. 

 

“H-he can’t be gone. He wouldn’t leave me here,” Minseok whispered. He looked down at his brother’s ashen face, a tear dropping onto his cold cheek. Sanghyuk’s chest clenched at the sight. He’d never seen Minseok show any emotions resembling remorse or grief before.

 

“It’s your fault,” Sanghyuk heard himself say. Minseok glared at him through his tears, still hugging his brother’s still form.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Jungwoo was looking for you. He found Minhyuk instead. You were the one that was supposed to be laying there.” Sanghyuk said calmly. There was a chill in Sanghyuk’s chest as he said those words. He couldn’t take Minseok on in a fight but he could hurt him like this. He felt a sick satisfaction at the stricken look on Minseok’s face.

 

That satisfaction was short lived as Minseok reared up and struck Sanghyuk across the face. Sanghyuk fell into the dirt, his ears ringing. Minseok loomed over him, his fists clenched and Sanghyuk scrambled away from him.

 

“If it weren’t for Minhyuk, I would kill you right now so don’t test me, got it?” Minseok seethed, abruptly sober. Sanghyuk nodded, his eyes wide. Minseok turned away and carefully picked up Minhyuk’s body and carried him off the road into the night, leaving Sanghyuk alone once more in the road.

 

☆☆☆☆☆☆

 

Minhyuk was buried rather unceremoniously on a quiet stretch of road outside the village. Minseok never confronted Jungwoo on what had happened that night and Jungwoo never spoke a word of it either. Sanghyuk was quickly beginning to learn that this was just the way things were done among the squad. Loyalty was a sham and they only followed Jungwoo out of fear. 

 

Sanghyuk began to sleep fitfully after that, his dreams plagued by the memory of Minhyuk’s death. He prayed he would one day be able to escape but those hopes were quickly dashed.

 

After that night, Minseok began to keep Sanghyuk close, much like Minhyuk had once done. He had even slipped and called him “Hyukkie”, the nickname Minseok teased Minhyuk with at times. Sanghyuk didn’t feel any safer now that Minseok had become his self-proclaimed keeper. If anything, Minseok was just as bad as Jungwoo. 

 

Every night when Sanghyuk would lay down to sleep, Minseok within arms length of him, he wondered if he would be the next squad member to be betrayed. Would Jungwoo tell them to leave him behind like they had Wonshik? Would Jungwoo kill him in a fit of misguided rage? The unknown possibilities scared Sanghyuk but his outlook on the future was bleak. 

 

He would never escape.

  
  


Even as Sanghyuk trudged through the snow on the side of some godforsaken mountain, he thought about Jungwoo. If Jungwoo found out he’d been caught, freezing to death might be preferable. Still, Sanghyuk couldn’t give up so easily. Though the sun must have come out by now, it was still dim beneath the trees. Sanghyuk was dead tired and frozen to the bone but still he pushed forward. 

 

It felt like hours had passed before Sanghyuk came across the clearing in the woods. There, Minseok and Siwon sat around a small fire warming themselves. Sanghyuk felt a strange  mixture of relief and dread at the sight of the two men. Before he could approach, a cold hand clamped onto the back of his neck. 

 

Jungwoo.

 

“So good of you to join us, Sanghyuk. Now, let's talk about your little fuck up hm?”

**Author's Note:**

> It's been 84 years since the last chapter of WaWi was posted. Somewhere in writing this, Moni and I hit a rut and we struggled a bit. Thanks to everyone for waiting so patiently and thanks to our friends who helped us get this piece finished.


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